In the guise of a "phantom ship", the "Esmeralda" sails again
by Germán F. Westphal - March 11, 2004
English translation by Pat Bennetts
On March 14, 2004, the training ship "Esmeralda" --the ship of the Chilean Navy
which symbolizes torture and death-- once again sails away from its home in
Valparaiso, in the guise of a real "phantom ship", with Pinochet's pirate flag
hoisted atop its four masts. Its itinerary is completely unknown to the public
as the Navy has only revealed the names of the ports at which it will call, but
has expressly omitted dates of arrival and departure, a strategy specially
designed to surprise human rights activists and thwart any possible protest to
denounce the crimes committed on board in 1973, which have remained in total
impunity for thirty years.(*) The Navy has decided that last year's experience
of having to cancel visits to various ports and modify schedules more than once
due to protests organized by over 80 organizations in America and Europe, must
not be repeated.
Transformed into a real phantom ship, the "Esmeralda" will be able to make a
surprise entrance to every port just like the ships of the Chilean Navy which
returned to Valparaiso at dawn on that fatal September 11, 1973, with their
cannons pointing at the poorest quarters of the city. In fact, the day before,
the Chilean fleet had gone out to sea to meet the North American fleet for
Operation UNITAS, a move clearly designed to mislead the government of President
Salvador Allende with respect to the Navy's intent to launch the coup. There is
no doubt that such a move was arranged beforehand with the Americans because an
operation such as UNITAS is not cancelled from one day to another, leaving the
friendly squadron in the middle of the Pacific. The strategy is basically the
same this year: surprise the "enemy". However, for the defenders of human rights
this is not a defeat, but rather a triumph resulting from actions taken last
year.
One such action was the cancellation of the visit to a key port, Stockholm,
Sweden. A few days ago, members of the Group of Ex-Political Prisoners of the
Dictatorship in that city told me how the "reception committee", which involved
various Swedish organizations, had prepared some fifty small boats, yachts and
launches, including a helicopter, intended to escort the ship with
counter-demonstrations as it entered the archipelago of Stockholm. "They got to
know about it", my friends told me, and decided to cancel the visit. The Chilean
Navy does not want a a repetition of this. "The image of Chile", the real one,
the one of impunity, the one of the crimes of the dictatorship, must not be
revealed to the world ever again. It must be hidden. The Chilean Navy has
decided in collusion with the government. Dates of arrivals at ports must be
concealed.. They have converted the "Esmeralda" into a phantom ship. So
shameless are they, however, that the more they try, the more they reveal
themselves. No protest is necessary. They denounce themselves. In their
cowardice.
This is not the only triumph which has resulted from the show of solidarity in
previous years. Although the Chilean Navy will not admit it, initially the ship
was to have visited, amongst others, the ports of Sydney, Australia and
Wellington, New Zealand. These visits have been cancelled. This is not
surprising. On December 5, 2001, the training ship of death and torture was
received with a strong protest by Amnesty International in Wellington. On August
7, 2002 the ship was also rejected in Sydney, Australia. See articles and photos
available on
http://www.chile-esmeralda.com/history/2001/wellington_2001.htm
http://www.chile-esmeralda.com/history2001/nwz%20-%2001.htm
http://www.chile-esmeralda.com/history/2002grand_ship_ugly_past.htm
As regards the visit of the ship to Sydney, Australia in the year 2002, it is
interesting to note that the Consul General of Chile, Jorge Canelas, said:
"There are reports of terrible stories [with regard to the use of the ship in
l973] but none of them have been confirmed. I don't believe the ship was used as
a prison. They had enough prisons without having to use the pride of the Navy"
("Grand Ship, Ugly Past", The Sydney Morning Herald, August 8, 2002).
Once again, as with José Tomás Letelier, ex-Ambassador of Chile to Canada in
2000, we have here the official representative of the government of President
Ricardo Lagos making statements that question the Report of the Chilean
Commission of Truth and Reconciliation, also known as the Rettig Report. This
report, accepted by the government of Chile, describes in detail crimes
committed on board the ship. However, many diplomatic representatives,
ideologically close to the dictatorship who remain camouflaged in posts abroad
(in the foreign service), allow themselves to make statements that falsify or
question the historic truth. For more information, see the Report of the Chilean
Commission of Truth and Reconciliation and other documents about violations of
human rights perpetrated on board the ship:
http://www.chile-esmeralda.com/documents/00_documentos.htm
Apart from the cancellations already mentioned, there has been another
cancellation that represents an equally important achievement for international
solidarity. The farewell ceremony in which traditionally the President
participates when the ship leaves the port of Valparaiso. In effect, after the
cancellation of the ship's visit to London, England, scheduled for July 14 last
year --which would have coincided with a visit by the President to London--,
President Lagos said in an interview with the BBC that "it had not been 'a good
ide' for the Navy to send the "Esmeralda" training ship on a cruise of European
countries, on the 30th anniversary of the military coup, thereby opening the way
to protests by those who remember that the ship was used as a torture center"
("Lagos critica el envío de la Esmeralda a Europa", El Mercurio, July 16, 2003).
This statement was severely criticised by un-official spokesmen of the Navy,
such as the ex-commander in chief of the Navy, Jorge Arancibia, and the Navy
officially declared "that this is the opinion of the President and he is at
liberty to say what he likes. The Navy does not comment on his opinions" (
"Armada no se pronuncia sobre crítica de Lagos a viaje de la Esmeralda", La
Segunda July 16, 2003).
Obviously, after his own statement and the responses he received from the Navy,
President Ricardo Lagos cannot set foot on the ship's deck again. Actually, he
should never have done so until he had obtained formal commitment from the Navy
that it would collaborate with the judiciary to clarify the crimes committed
aboard.
Nevertheless, only the pressure of the facts claimed by international solidarity
obliged him to make the declaration he made to the BBC of London, not the
ethical convictions he claims to hold, as was clear from his farewell words to
the ship that same year:
http://www.chileesmeralda.com/protestas_2003/chile/El%20discurso%20de%20la%20vverguenza)
This year the President had no choice but to send his Minister of Defence,
Michelle Bachelet.
Once again we see that the defence and protection of human rights, and the
recognition which the victims of repression deserve, are not easily conceded.
They must be won through continuous efforts of solidarity involving many
organisations, as happened last year.
Indeed, "another world is possible", but it must be built.
______
(*) After this article was published, the following information regarding the
ship's itinerary became available on March 15, 2003:
March 23: Callao, Peru
April 10: Acapulco, Mexico
April 24: San Diego, U.S.A.
May 14: Honolulu, U.S.A.
June 10: Tokio, Japan
June 21: Pusan, Korea
June 28: Shanghai, China
June 30: Noumea, New Caledonia
August 20: Papeete, French Polinesy
September 9: Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile
September 26: Valparaíso, Chile
SOURCE: www.LaTercera.cl - March 15, 2004
N.B. The exact dates of arrival and departure remain a mystery, but the relevant
information is directly available from the local port authorities.
